Wasser Berlin International 2017 Opens its Doors

On 28 March Wasser Berlin International 2017, the four-day trade fair packed full of events, will open its doors. The trade fair and congress will present new topics and services, be even more innovative, offer more information and feature even greater international participation than in previous years.

450 exhibitors from Germany and abroad will present their latest water supply and wastewater disposal technologies, products and services on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds, of whom 140 will be newcomers to the fair. 26 countries will be represented. This year, international exhibitor numbers have risen up to 25 per cent.

”Wasser Berlin International is the only marketing platform in Germany that represents the entire value chain of the water industry. Trade visitors can find the latest products, technologies and services from every branch of the water industry here, including water extraction, water treatment, water supply infrastructures, as well as wastewater treatment and technology“, said Matthias Steckmann, director at Messe Berlin GmbH and responsible for Wasser Berlin International.

Innovation Plaza in Hall 2.2Innovations and product developments are the driving force behind change, growth and employment. Wasser Berlin International (WBI) reflects these dynamic developments. For this purpose the Innovation Plaza, a centre for exchanging new ideas and creative meetings, has been set up in Hall 2.2. This is where companies will present their innovations, services and technological developments on individual and combined stands and have a forum for showing them to interested trade visitors.

Innovation ToursExhibitors from Germany and abroad will be showcasing 55 different innovations and technological developments at the fair, ten per cent more than at the previous event. On Tuesday, 28 March at 2.30 p.m., and on Wednesday, 29 March, at 10.30 a.m. journalists and trade visitors can take part in the Innovation Tours and witness selected new products live. This new service provides a concentrated overview of the industry s innovative capabilities. In order to register please contact gaebel@messe-berlin.de.

Wider-ranging congress programThe congress, featuring high-ranking experts, and the program of specialist events will have the latest updates for visitors on current topics, including drinking water infrastructures, sustainability and wastewater treatment. Taking place for the first time will be the International Ozone Symposium on 29 March and the Membrane Technology Forum on 30 March. On 30 March the BLUE PLANET Berlin Water Dialogues, the political platform of WBI, will place the spotlight on efficient wastewater management. Other specialist events include the NO DIG BERLIN Symposium combined with the International Pipeline Symposium (ILBS), the Well Construction Symposium and the Flood Management Symposium.

Leading political figuresOn 28 March, at a festive ceremony, Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety Dr. Barbara Hendricks, (BMUB) will open the fair. Permanent Secretary at the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises Christian Rickerts and Deputy Energy Minister of Iran Rahim Meidani will both speak at the event. On 30 March, at the BLUE PLANET Berlin Water Dialogues, Permanent Secretary at the BMUB Gunther Adler will address the topic of efficient wastewater management. Together with high-ranking experts from Germany and the Western Balkans Elizabeta Kos, assistant minister in the Croatian Ministry of the Environment, will explore the potential for future joint ventures.

Greater international participation: focus on IranRarely has Innovation attracted such a high level of international participation. In 2017 one in four exhibitors are from abroad, and the number of international visitors is equally impressive. Numerous foreign delegations are coming to Berlin for the fair, including from Costa Rica, Ghana, Kenya, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Croatia, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Lebanon, Iran, Hungary, Russia, China, Japan and Korea. This year there will be a special focus on Iran. At the conference on Iran on 28 March 2017 visitors to the Future Forum in Hall 3.2 can gain an insight into current and future projects.

Schaustelle Wasser: Experiencing practiceOn 30 March at Wasser Berlin visitors can observe how theory is put into practice. A tour of pipeline construction sites will highlight innovative and environmentally safe construction methods, including modernization of wastewater pressure pipelines, refurbishment of water pipelines using pipe jacking, and construction of barriers for regulating sewage accumulations. The tour of installations will showcase modern, complex methods and installations, parts of the Berlin infrastructure, including a water disposal management system. Innovations for ensuring safe drinking water supplies as well as water purification methods will also be shown. Berliner Wasserbetriebe is the co-organiser the event.

Career Day for newcomersOn Friday, 31 March the focus of the Career Day will be on the employees of tomorrow. Over the course of one day, pupils, students and professionals will be able to meet company representatives in person. Experienced staff from the companies’ personnel departments will await them on the stands to provide individual and detailed information on various types of jobs, including in the skilled trades, engineering and commerce. Upon presentation of a valid student ID students can purchase reduced-rate tickets to the Career Day priced at ten euros. For students the price of an unlimited ticket for the entire fair is 15 euros.

WASsERLEBEN – Berlin’s largest classroom on the subject of waterH2O: water is vital to life, refreshes, is a valuable resource, sustenance and a source of inspiration. At WASsERLEBEN, the interactive show for the public that runs parallel with WBI, students and grown-ups can find out about the many aspects of this life-giving resource in fascinating and entertaining ways. Over 6,000 pupils have registered to take part and will be turning the event into the capital’s largest classroom on the subject of water. Around 40 companies, institutions and schools from the Berlin/Brandenburg region will present themed projects and invite visitors to take part in biological, chemical and physics experiments.